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WHO WILL RESCUE US FROM THOSE WHO WANT TO RESCUE US AGAINST OUR WILL?

by Norma Jean Almodovar 2005
IF PORNOGRAPHY AND PROSTITUTION ACTIVITIES AMOUNT TO SLAVERY AND EXPLOITATION’..... WHY DO NASHVILLE TENNESSEE COPS HIRE MEN TO HAVE SEX WITH PROSTITUTES IN ORDER TO ARREST THE PROSTITUTE?

Graphics and text by Norma Jean Almodovar
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Recently, the Los Angeles Police Department was given a three year grant “to fund the training of officers to better identify exploitation of immigrants, including 'hidden crimes' of forced prostitution and slavery,” so such victims can be rescued. Note the word “forced.”

Comments Chief Bratton, "We have to take it beyond just arresting the prostitute," and identify instances of coercion. The chief said that, over the course of his career, he “might have failed to realize that some prostitutes were victims of traffickers.” The operative word here is “some,” because not all- or even most- prostitutes are victims of sexual exploitation.

In the later part of the twentieth century, a curious phenomenon occurred: the far left radical feminists, who had been for many years preaching the gospel of prostitution as a violation of human rights and sexual exploitation- got in bed with religious conservatives who were all too happy to accept the new wording for their age-old moral crusade against prostitution. The religious conservatives had, for the most part, lost the public’s sympathy with their crusade against personal moral choices such as homosexuality and abortion, and needed a new holy war to inspire their congregations. But to reach the general populace, the wording needed to be altered so as not to be perceived as just another “moral” campaign. The radical feminists had the jargon already constructed- “anti- trafficking” was a fight against the sexual degradation of women and children- not a fight against immoral behavior, and thus could the public be persuaded it was imperative to pass new laws and spend of millions of dollars to “rescue” the “sexually exploited.” Whose heart strings wouldn’t be stirred at the thought of young children and women forced to perform sex acts upon evil, lust-filled men? Who wouldn’t be justifiably disturbed at the thought of greedy pimps making billions of dollars off the sale of those poor, exploited persons?

There was only one problem: prostitutes had begun fighting for their rights in the early 1970’s and had become vocal about wanting to decriminalize consenting adult prostitution. Around the world, prostitutes’ rights organizations were started by young, articulate, politically savvy women and men who believed the original feminist creed of self-determination. We had the audacity to think that the mantra “my body, my choice” for abortion rights also applied to us and our bodies. Can you imagine our surprise when we were told that there is no such thing as “choice” to engage in commercial sex?

“Sexual exploitation” is a subjective concept and requires the use of other inflammatory and deceitful words to reinforce it. So radical feminists and religious conservatives adopted a take no prisoners approach, and simply disallowed from being heard the voices of us activists who favor decriminalization of all private, consenting adult commercial sex.

Radical feminists and religious conservatives insist that no distinction be made between consenting adult commercial sex and true sexual slavery. Using skewed law enforcement statistics- which do not differentiate between consenting adult prostitutes and those persons of any age who are coerced into sex slavery- the global community is duped into believing that there are “possibly millions” of trafficked victims worldwide who are nothing short of “modern day slaves.” Without clarification, these statistics can certainly shock and alarm the misled public. However, there is a monumental difference between sex slavery and consenting adult prostitution.

Imagine if laws made no distinction between rape, child sexual abuse and consenting adult sex; how would it help the victims of rape and child sexual abuse to arrest every adult person who engaged in consensual sex? If arresting the victim and consenting adult prostitute alike is a viable solution for eliminating sexual exploitation as it applies to prostitution, shouldn’t this strategy be applied to the victims of rape and domestic violence? Modern day slavery encompasses many forms of coerced labor besides prostitution, such as sweatshops. Surely if it would lead to the abolition of sweatshops, our wise leaders would pass laws against all commercial garment manufacturing, and cops would set up sting operations to arrest persons caught sewing commercially.

Conservative columnist and National Review Editor Rich Lowry states in a recent article on trafficking, “... a bipartisan coalition is forming in Congress to foster tough ‘demand side’ enforcement of U.S. anti-prostitution laws by ensuring that male perpetrators such as johns and pimps are as systematically prosecuted as are female victims.” If prostitutes are victims, why are prostitutes prosecuted in the first place?

How do the police determine which women it is acceptable to “exploit” - that is, allow the prostitute to continue plying her trade in exchange for her cooperation- and which women should be “rescued” by paying male informants- at taxpayer’s expense- to have sex with her in order to arrest her and charge her with a crime?

International sex worker activists wholeheartedly agree that whenever “forced” prostitution takes place, the law must protect such victims, but it is a serious mistake to treat prostitution and trafficking as if they were one and the same because they are not. It helps not one single victim of trafficking to insist that they are.

If consenting adult prostitution was no longer a crime, there would be sufficient law enforcement resources available to investigate, arrest and prosecute those who truly victimize children, young women or any other persons by forcing them into ANY type of activity- including garment manufacturing “sweatshops,” domestic labor and picking crops. It is the act of coercion which creates the victimization of those forced into these activities, and it is coercion -not the activities themselves- that is the crime and thus the rightful concern and target of law enforcement!

It is time to decriminalize private, consenting adult prostitution, and stop the rescue of women who don’t wish to be rescued.